The Vladisavljevic family are a perfect storm of personalities. Papa Linsh and Uncle Thony are Russian, Thony's husband Giuseppe (and his brother Xabi) are Catalonian, Greta and Valdin's mother, Betty, is Māori, estranged from her whānau on Aotea Great Barrier Island.
Lavrenti is known as Caspar, because he's pale as a ghost – his wife is the other Greta. Our protagonists long to know things: who they are, how they fit. Greta eavesdrops, but it will be Valdin who finds things out.
This whole big stew of a story is a joyful examination of love in its many forms. The siblings are close and tease, mock and support one another as only unconditional love allows.
Linsh is delightfully eccentric, Betty fiercely in control, Caspar trying his best, Greta and Valdin trying to hold themselves together in a world as bright and beguiling as they are.
This is a wonder of a novel, its dialogue is sharp and witty, its characters recognisable. I cared deeply for the whole of this crazy family. It's also shortlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
